Topic: Sloe Gin/Fruit liquers

[Tin Shed]

Have just strained my sloe gin, quince calvados and quince vodka but none are quite sweet enough so I need to add extra sugar. Is it better to add straight sugar or a syrup solution as I do for the creme de cassis. Also, the sloe gin is more almondy this year. Advice, anybody.

[Mrs Ava]

I would add it as a syrup, at least then there is no chance of granuals of sugar not dissolving.  Also, you can be in control of how sweet you make it. 

As for the almond taste, I would assume that is from the sloe stone and I can't think of any way of altering that.  Me, sounds like heaven as almonds are devine in my opinion.

[Bluejane]

I would make up a syrup solution, I think - it'll dissolve quicker and it's easier if you're going to have to add it in small amounts and test for sweetness as you go along.  Have a nice evening!

Interesting about your sloe gin tasting almondy - I noticed the same with mine this winter. Sadly none left now - must make more next year. If the sloes are as plentiful as they were last autumn, which I suspect was rather a one-off.

[Tin Shed]

Many thanks - sugar syrup it is, but I think I will do it tomorrow as I have done a bit of tasting this afternoon! Then it will join all the other concoctions in the cupboard under the stairs - heaven only knows what the man who comes to read the meter thinks!

[Jeannine]

Someone told me how to start a sloe gin thing which I did, is it time to strain it and how do I do that and how do I bottle it,I started it is October I think  Thank you XX Jeannine

[Tin Shed]

Strained mine in Feb and put it back in the same gin bottles that I used when I first made it in theautumn.I don't know whether the bottles should have been sterilized, but I have never bothered - and the sloe gin never stays inthere that long anyway!!

[greyhound]

Hi Jeannine

I'm just filtering off the last bottles of my sloe gin (did some before Christmas and left the rest till now).

I am possibly a bit more fussy than some, but I like mine to be absolutely clear.  I use a couple of large Pimms jugs and strain the gin from one to the other using three increasingly finer sieves.  Then it goes through a sieve lined with several layers of muslin, and finally through coffee filter papers.  This last can be a slow process - some liquid will go through quite rapidly, but some will have more sediment.  Best only to put a little in at a time, as the filter papers reach a saturation point.

Decant into clear clean bottles - the ones the gin came in will do fine.  I also use a lot of small mineral water bottles cadged from the pub, as these are handy sizes if you want to give some away.  You can also make nice labels to stick on.   

[triffid]

Just thinking about the almondy taste you'd noticed...

It could be variants in the sloes themselves, or more probably the taste of the inner kernels leaching through into the liquor.
But it may also be partly to do with the gin base itself.

Some years ago I started taking serious note of what gins I'd used for various sloe gin batches (yep, I'm that sad about my sloe gins  ;)). The flavourings ('botanicals') used by different brands vary a lot. And at least one gin that I use regularly, Bombay Sapphire, is flavoured with a mix including almonds.   

[davee52uk]

I made some Damson Vodka before Christmas in much the same way. I have been too busy drinking my Xmas single malts up to now but had a go at the vodka last night  and thisn too has gorgeous hint of almonds. I left the seeds (kernels?) in when I put the friut to soak in the vodka. I shall definitely be making more in the Autumn.

Question can you also use fruit such as plums, blackberries and loganberries all of which I have on my plots? How about using apples?

[Astra]

Hiya..all those fruits you're talking about could go into a Rumtoft ( not sure how you spell that !!) but basically you put layers of fruit and sugar as they come ripe and top up with white rum or voddy....then come the winter you've got a lovely pot of alcholic preserved fruit to be eaten with cream, ice cream or even on its own! ;D

[Jeannine]

Rumtroph, (rumpot) I have recipes if anyone needs them, start with your strawberries so you need to decide soon if you are going to do one. Last year we used

strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrant,raspberries, chopped peaches etc.

It's very good,just keep the fruit under the rum or it will mould.

 XX Jeannine